Modern Integrated Operating Rooms (“IOR”) consist of interconnected medical devices and information systems. The typical IOR is a cluttered environment that is constituted of a myriad of medical devices, surgical instruments, monitors, touch screens, input devices (e.g. footswitches, computer keyboards and mouse, camera head buttons, etc.), communication systems, and so on. One reason for such clutter is that a multitude of equivalent input/output devices are needed by the surgical team to manage the flow of information and to control the different devices in the IOR. For example, multiple LCD displays are typically needed in the surgical field to view patient information (e.g., X-Rays, CT scans, MRI scans, vital signs, etc.), to display the surgical image and to control the IOR (e.g., using an IOR touchscreen or by voice and/or gesture control). Furthermore, it is not uncommon for a surgeon to have to operate an array of several footswitches, each triggering individual functions on different devices in the IOR.
To control the IOR, workflow management systems are used. Existing workflow management systems include U.S. Pat. No. 8,355,928 to Spahn; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0125840 to Squilla et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0022849 to Franz et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0114214 to Messerges; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0114212 to Messerges; Florent Lalys et al., Automatic knowledge-based recognition of low-level tasks in ophthalmological procedures, International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 2013, 8 (1), pp. 39-49; Houliston B R et al. (2011) TADAA: towards automated detection of anesthetic activity. Methods Inf Med 50(5): 464-471; N. Padoy et al., Statistical Modeling and Recognition of Surgical Workflow Medical/Image Analysis (2010), Volume 16, Issue 3, April 2012 (published online December 2010), pp. 632-641.
Other existing prior art includes: U.S. Pat. No. 8,411,034, “Sterile Networked Interface for Medical Systems” to Boillot et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0021475, “Method for displaying and/or processing image data of medical origin using gesture recognition” to Steinle et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0229383, “Gesture support for controlling and/or operating a medical device” to Hamilton et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0204428, “Method and device for controlling apparatus” to Steinle et al.; WO2011060187, “A master finger tracking device and method of use in a minimally invasive surgical system” Toltkowitz et al.; WO2011060185, “Method and system for hand presence detection in a minimally invasive surgical system” to Itkowitz et al.; WO2012044334, “Method and apparatus for hand gesture control in a minimally invasive surgical system” to Itkowitz et al.; WO2012129669, “Gesture operated control for medical information systems” to Tremain et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0225999, “Gesture commands user interface for ultrasound imaging systems” to Banjanin et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0253519, “Automatic Control of a Medical Device” to Bonfiglio et al.; WO2013038293, “Gesture-based user-interface with user-feedback” to Geurts et. al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0114226, “Systems and methods for user interface and identification in a medical device” to Music et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,274,290, “Hygienic input device for medical information systems” to Morita et. al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0104547, “Gesture-based communications” to Morita et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0118400, “Method and system for gesture recognition to drive healthcare applications” to Morita et. al.; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0179162, “Touch free operation of devices by use of depth sensors” to Merschon et al.
However, these existing systems suffer from various disadvantages. One disadvantage of existing systems is that existing systems have multiple devices that each have discrete functionality, such that clutter remains within the operating room.
Another disadvantage of existing systems is that the devices are not integrated with one another, as existing systems do not have a central device that is able to control the workflow of the medical procedure and that is able to use the workflow of the medical procedure to control data displayed on display monitors and interfaces.
Another disadvantage of existing systems involves having pre-programmed devices located within the operating room having limited usage within an operating room, as the pre-programmed devices do not have any means for interacting with other devices within the operating room.
Thus, there exists a need to provide a method and system that is able to overcome the disadvantages in existing systems to optimize and improve the workflow of a medical procedure and to reduce clutter in an operating room.